Behind the scenes at Performance Bicycle

September 14, 2012

Zach’s Training Diary: Getting ready for the Gran Fondo

It’s almost time to see if our web merchant Zach has what it takes to ride hard in Jeremiah Bishop’s Alpine Loop Gran Fondo in Virginia. If you’ve been following on the blog, Zach has been training all summer to take on the hardest Gran Fondo in the US – 104 miles, over 11,000 feet of climbing and dirt road climbs thrown in for good measure! So now it’s time to see how he’s feeling and what gear he’s picked to take on the challenge.

The big ride I’ve been training for is in just a couple of days! I’m ready for it. I feel like I spent the entire summer training for it and thinking about it. I got burnt out on training for a while, right after I peaked too early and then fell off the wagon a bit. Since then I have rested up, done some active recovery, and come back a bit stronger and more prepared. I’ve got everything lined up and dialed in! The only thing that’s bothering me is a brutal allergy attack, but I’ve been getting plenty of rest and come Saturday morning I’ll be riding no matter what condition I’m in!

Zach’s training log

Over the summer I’ve had the pleasure to ride a few bikes from Fuji to try out and see which one was the best for me, given the riding conditions of the Gran Fondo. In an earlier post I talked about the Fuji Altamira and the Fuji SST. I was able to test out two more bikes over the summer, the Fuji SL1 Comp and the Fuji Gran Fondo.

The SL1 Comp was a very comfortable bike, and would be the perfect bike for someone transitioning into their first carbon road bike, or doing long group century rides. For me, though, it wasn’t quite as responsive as the Altamira during the long climbs. Since there will be 11,000 feet of climbing in the Gran Fondo, I may need to pass on this one. Otherwise, the bike did great on long training rides with rolling hills around the Piedmont of NC. I could easily get 80 miles in on it and feel great afterwards.

Zach riding the Fuji SL1 Comp

The fourth and last bike was the Fuji Gran Fondo. This bike is designed for exactly what it’s named after, riding long and hard during a Gran Fondo, or any other similar style of ride. The bike is a very fast machine, climbs great, is comfortable, and absorbs potholes and gravel easily to give a smooth and plush ride. The upright geometry gave me no problems while reaching for energy gels, a water bottle, or getting my phone out of my back pocket to text my wife that I was OK while riding (just kidding on the texting part). Plainly put, the Fuji Gran Fondo delivers!

Fuji Gran Fondo 3.0

So which one did I go for? It was a hard choice. The SST and SL1 Comp were ruled out as top contenders for a Gran Fondo. They’re great machines for what they’re designed for, but not great at long ascents on gravel roads. The Gran Fondo would seem to be the obvious choice, but given that I also had the option of the similar Altamira that’s decked out with Shimano Dura Ace electronic shifting, I went with the Altamira!

There was just something about the Altamira that felt better for me. It’s quick and snappy on the climbs, is very comfortable, it delivers optimal power transfer with its oversized bottom bracket, and at the end of the day was lighter than the rest of the choices. I’ve been riding it for quite some time now, and have made a few changes to prep it for the gran fondo riding conditions. The Altamira came with an Ultegra standard 53-39 double crankset and an 11-25 cassette on the back. I swapped those out for an Ultegra 50-34 Compact Crankset paired with an 11-28 cassette. With that low of a gear ratio, I should be able to ride the hills of the Gran Fondo with no problems! For tires I chose Continental Gatorskins in a 700X25 size, that, when paired with Zipp 303 Firecrest Carbon Clincher wheels, actually measure out to about 26mm in width. Running this set up at about 90 psi gives it all the cush and grip needed for those long gravel climbs.

So that’s the bike! It’s a very important part of the puzzle, but there’s plenty more that’s needed for the fondo. After testing several products over the summer, I’ve come up with my own personal checklist of things that have worked the best for me from head to toe:

Shoes: I use Sidi Ergo 3 shoes (similar to the Sidi Ergo 2 Carbon Lite Road Shoes) as the adjustability and control of personal fit on these shoes is unmatched! They’re light, stiff and make for great climbing shoes!

Kit: Louis Garneau Mondo Evo Bib Shorts and Team Short Sleeve Jersey – This kit is the absolute most comfortable kit I’ve ever had. It’s light, breathable, and it wicks and dries sweat away in the blink of an eye. Our Garneau Custom Cycling team from Performance wears this combo for our team kits.

Jacket: Depending on the weather report, I may be packing my Cannondale Pack Me Jacket. It stows away into my jersey pocket nicely and is a welcome addition if the rain starts pouring.

Eyewear: Smith Pivlock V2 Max – I’ve never in my life owned a better pair of cycling glasses than these. The tapered lens tech is no joke, and after riding them I’ll never go to another brand. They’re very lightweight, and extremely durable.

Helmet: Giro Aeon Helmet – I switched to this after riding a Specialized Prevail for a long time and I have to say, the Aeon feels lighter and it fits my head better. The red and black also match my kit. DONE!

Nutrition: I thought I had this dialed in, but at the Gran Fondo training ride, I had some severe cramps despite staying hydrated and eating. Since then I’ve started taking GU Brew Electrolyte Drink Tablets. They’re packed with plenty of sodium and seem to be doing the trick! For solid food I’ve always enjoyed the multiple varieties of Honey Stinger Waffles, and margarita flavored Clif Shot Blocks Energy Chews! I also take some supplements here and there such as SportLegs or Endurox Excel, depending on what I’m doing. Lastly, I love Endurox R4 for a recovery drink. The chocolate flavor is my favorite, but they’re all good.

Inflation: The Spin Doctor Rescue HP mini pump will be tagging along with me. With all the gravel I stand the chance of having to change multiple flats, and I’d rather not carry a bunch of CO2 cartridges.

Pocket Essentials: The Blackburn VIP SL Ride Wallet will be carrying my ID, credit card, phone, etc. I’ve been using this thing for months and have been caught in downpours and sweat through my jerseys. Everything inside stays completely dry.

Computer: Garmin Edge 500 with H/R monitor and the BarFly computer mount. All around I think this is the best GPS device out there. I love the compact design and that it’s fully customizable to give me everything I want to know. The BarFly makes it a quick glance of the eye to view the Edge 500, instead of having to tilt my neck all the way down to view the stem mount.

Water Bottles: CamelBak Podium ChillJacket Insulated Bottle – I dismissed these until I forgot my bottles on a training ride and ended up having to buy water bottles. Now, I’ll never use anything else. It keeps your water cool and that goes a long way both mentally and physically when you’re out there grinding it out.

Well, that’s the gear. The only thing left to do is head back up to Harrisonburg this weekend and ride the Gran Fondo! I can’t wait to get back up there and do it. Hopefully this allergy attack will subside and I’ll have a strong ride come Saturday morning. I’ll have a full report after I get back. Thanks for reading!

Hey Zack. This was a great post. And thank’s for riding in the Alpine Gran Fondo and being such a great fundraiser. The money you raised helps keep our new prostate cancer early detection system operating. You can be a PCAP Ambassador by telling your buds who are 35 and over to head over to http://ProstateTracker.org and create their free early warning account. Send me your mailing address and I’ll send you a couple of pairs of our new socks from LIN. They’re so cool you’ll wear them with your sandals! Thanks again for your support!

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